How to Advocate Year-round
Successful advocacy is a year-round activity at the local, state, and federal levels. To help school boards plan accordingly, we’ve outlined the steps and timing for maximizing your efforts.
Advocacy Defined: “Active support of an idea or cause; especially the act of pleading or arguing for something.”
Local
- Learn about the interests, skills, and backgrounds of your fellow board members
- Use data to inform your policy priorities and strategic planning process
- Coordinate local outreach on state/federal legislative issues
- Orient fellow board members to WSSDA position
- Engage fellow board members in the priority ranking process leading up to the General Assembly
- Determine interest in and need for new and/or revised positions to submit during the spring submission window
State
- Expand lens as local board members to DA and state
- Follow session happenings via WSSDA InSession
- Make connections and increase sphere of influence
- Plan trips to Olympia with students
- Attend Legislative Conference & Day on the Hill
- Identify common ground with other advocates
- Thank your legislators for a job well done
Federal
- Join the Federal Relations Network
- Develop relationships with your Congress members
- Invite Congress members to visit your schools
- Advocate using your real life experience’ tell stories
- Thank your Congress members for a job well done
